It’s really real this time! Just revealed at the Xbox Games Showcase 2025 - the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X are releasing “this holiday” aka Soon™.
Meet the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X. Coming this holiday 2025.
Introducing the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X – two new premium handhelds that combine the power of Xbox with the freedom of Windows 11. This holiday, players can discover another way to play as we combine the power of Xbox with the freedom you expect from Windows 11, created together with ASUS. And this is only the beginning.
•ROG Xbox Ally: powered by the AMD Ryzen™ Z2 A Processor - balancing performance and power consumption to maximize battery life without sacrificing gameplay quality - 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage.
•ROG Xbox Ally X: features the AMD Ryzen™ AI Z2 Extreme processor - allowing us to bring new experiences to life including greater frames-per-second, sharp visuals and increased intelligence - double the storage to have more native games at your fingertips, and 24GB of high-speed RAM and 1TB of SSD storage.
The ‘Xbox Ally’ and ‘Xbox Ally X’ are super-charged PC gaming handhelds from ASUS, coming later this year.
Previously known as Project Kennan, Microsoft and ASUS today revealed the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, two super-charged PC gaming handhelds powered by AMD’s new Z2 Extreme and Z2-A chips, promising boosted performance and battery life for the form factor.
In perhaps even bigger news, the Xbox Ally will also sport a new version of the Xbox app for Windows 11, which adapts the OS specifically for PC gaming handhelds. The Xbox Ally will still be full Windows under the hood, but, in early testing, the Xbox app in full screen mode seems to use use only a third of the total idle power consumption of typical Windows. Microsoft also says they can free up to 2GB of RAM for gaming performance with these new features.
Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X specs
| Category | Xbox Ally | Xbox Ally X |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen™ Z2 A Processor | AMD Ryzen™ AI Z2 Extreme Processor |
| Memory | 16GB LPDDR5X-6400 | 24GB LPDDR5X-8000 |
| Storage | 512GB M.2 2280 SSD (upgradeable) | 1TB M.2 2280 SSD (upgradeable) |
| Display | 7" 16:9 FHD (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 120Hz refresh rate, FreeSync Premium, Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection | 7" 16:9 FHD (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 120Hz refresh rate, FreeSync Premium, Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection |
| Graphics | AMD Radeon™ RDNA 3 Graphics | AMD Radeon™ RDNA 3 Graphics with AI Boost |
| Battery | 60Wh | 80Wh |
| I/O Ports | 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, microSD reader, 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack | 1x USB4 Type-C with Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, microSD reader (DDR200), 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack |
| Network | Wi-Fi 6E (2x2) + Bluetooth 5.4 | Wi-Fi 6E (2x2) + Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Audio | Dual Smart Amp speakers, Dolby Atmos, AI noise-canceling microphone | Dual Smart Amp speakers, Dolby Atmos, AI noise-canceling microphone |
| Dimensions & Weight | 290.8 × 121.5 × 50.7 mm, 670g | 290.8 × 121.5 × 50.7 mm, 715g |
| Launch Date | Holiday 2025 | Holiday 2025 |
| Price | Unknown | Unknown |
Perhaps an even bigger headline here than the Xbox Ally itself is the fact Windows 11 and the Xbox app are unique to this device here (for now), with exclusive features that massively enhance performance and reduce OS overheads. I’m told that eventually, the new Xbox app and Windows 11 gaming features will eventually roll out to other devices like the Lenovo Legion Go (starting in early 2026, Microsoft says), but they will be exclusive to the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X while they are developed and refined.
Microsoft’s goal with Windows 11 on the Xbox Ally is to make it so you can navigate as much of Windows as possible without using the touch screen or a keyboard. It’s unclear if this is a separate ring to regular Windows 11, but it certainly seems like it is from what I can tell.
On the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, you can get through the lockscreen on Windows 11 using the controller, which is a first for Windows. But it gets better once you’re actually in.
With the new Xbox app, you can set it into full screen mode like Steam for the first time. But this isn’t merely cosmetic. When running in full screen mode, the Xbox app will disable all Windows 11 processes, even the Desktop, reducing the amount of idle / standby power consumption by two thirds. Furthermore, it’ll free up to 2GB of RAM and send that right into your games. Microsoft says these benefits are still early days ahead of the platform’s holiday 2025 launch window, and there should be greater improvements to speak of down the line.
While the Xbox app in full screen cancels out some of Windows 11’s mouse and keyboard-style traditional functionality, it won’t reduce the ability to multi-task. Despite shutting down the Desktop in this mode, you will still be able to launch apps and programs from the new Xbox Game Bar. A new alt tab interface will let you scroll through those apps too, whether it’s YouTube via Chrome or Edge, or Discord itself, without having to move into the Desktop environment.
From Windows Central
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